5 Honest Things That Will Happen In The First Week With Your Baby

Hint: It's not going to be easy.

Posted on

22 June 2017

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You’ve painted the nursery, stocked up on diapers and read all that you could about breastfeeding. Sorry to shatter down your hopes but all that stuff is fluff when it comes to making it through the maiden days of motherhood.

Let’s just say there will be a lot of crying (and not from the baby's side). You've envisioned warm cuddles, baby's adorable photo sessions, friends and family gushing over your child's smile; all of this will happen — just not right away.

Your first week with your precious newborn will be the most painfully beautiful days of your life. Read on to find out how to survive the first week of parenthood without giving into the temptations of passing out.

1. There will be a lot of discomfort down there.

Think your body has gone through enough during the pregnancy month? Think again. Most of the new mums and people around them get so engrossed in the childbirth that they completely underestimate the struggles of recovery.

Whether you had a caesarian or a normal delivery, you’ve just pushed a healthy human being out of your body so expect a little (read a lot) of discomfort down there.

Be prepared for a lot of cramping during this time as your uterus shrinks to its pre-pregnancy size. Sitting, walking or even lying down is going to be an exhausting task.

2. Sleep deprivation will hit you hard.

The excitement of having a baby to hold will quickly crash down after 48 hours of little or no sleep. Ironic as it is, newborns sleeps for 20 hours or so, in one to four-hour spurts.

This means you won’t just walk around without sleep, you’ll also experience a supreme level of frustration after getting up in the middle of the night — several times.

Things will get better once your baby is ready for some sleep training. Till then, master the art of sleeping anytime and anywhere. Your motto for any day should be to sleep when the baby sleeps.

3. Your baby may develop jaundice.

You've probably heard of infant jaundice that affects about 60 percent of the babies. The yellow tint happens when the baby's blood contains too much bilirubin, which is "a yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells."

Most babies have mild jaundice. It usually gets better or goes away on its own within a week or two without causing problems. But always keep your doc informed about the condition and follow-up when your baby is 3 to 5 days old.

4. Breastfeeding will be at its hardest.

The most profound experience of your life isn't going to be easy - at least in the beginning.

The lactation process can start as early as 36 hours after birth but for some women, it can take four to five days. The only thing to do here is to keep stimulating your breast for milk production.

Once the baby latches on properly, nursing will become a wonderful bonding time for you and your baby.

5. There will be a lot of crying from both sides.

Your hormones combined with the lack of sleep, stress, self-doubt and just about everything will result in a bottomless well of crying.

Don't suppress it. It's completely normal for the new mum to feel joy, pain, disbelief and doubt all in one go. Once you master the art of motherhood, things will get better with time.